35216 is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 35216 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35216, ~34% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35216 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35216 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 14 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 26 leaning the other way.
35216 runs about 31 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35216 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35216. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+35) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+25), a spread of about 60 points.
Why 35216 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 35216, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
35216 votes against the grain of Alabama. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35216 runs about 31 points more Democratic.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 35216, AL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 35216 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 35216 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Alabama Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.